shelter
shelter — noun
1. a structure or place designed to keep people, animals, or belongings safe from w
a structure or place designed to keep people, animals, or belongings safe from weather conditions, physical threats, or harm
The hikers found a small stone shelter when the sudden storm hit the mountain.
concrete noun: a physical structure against weather
Kwame volunteers at an animal shelter that rescues abandoned dogs and cats.
common compound: animal shelter
During the earthquake, the gymnasium became a temporary shelter for hundreds of families.
A bus shelter protected Samir from the rain while he waited for the number 42.
The charity built a new shelter on Elm Street for homeless women and their children.
- exposure
the state of being unprotected and vulnerable to the elements or danger
文法句型
shelter + for + noun phrase
用法筆記
Countable noun. Often used in compounds with a purpose word: animal shelter, homeless shelter, bomb shelter, bus shelter. The building type varies widely from a simple roofed structure (bus shelter) to a full facility (homeless shelter).
常見錯誤
2. the situation of being in a covered or protected place where weather or danger c
the situation of being in a covered or protected place where weather or danger cannot reach you
The refugees walked for three days before they found shelter in a border town.
collocation: find shelter
Mira and her brother took shelter under an oak tree when the rain began.
collocation: take shelter under [something]
Thousands of families sought shelter from the floodwaters in the hills above the valley.
Rodrigo offered shelter to a group of stranded travellers whose car had broken down.
- protection
broader meaning; shelter specifically implies a physical location or cover
- cover
informal; focuses on being shielded from above, especially from weather
- refuge
implies escaping a more serious danger
文法句型
shelter + from + noun phrase
take + shelter
seek + shelter
find + shelter
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — do not use a or an. Common verb partners are take, seek, find, offer, provide, give. The noun phrase after from names what is being escaped (the rain, the fighting, the heat).
常見錯誤
shelter — verb
1. to keep a person, animal, or thing safe from weather conditions, danger, or harm
to keep a person, animal, or thing safe from weather conditions, danger, or harm by placing them in a protected location
The old oak tree sheltered the picnickers from the hot afternoon sun.
shelter + object + from + [weather]
Beatrix sheltered her puppy under her jacket during the sudden hailstorm.
During the blizzard, the travellers sheltered in a roadside cafe until morning.
The garden is sheltered from the wind by a tall brick wall on the north.
Aylin sheltered the injured bird in a cardboard box on her kitchen counter.
- expose
to leave someone unprotected and vulnerable
文法句型
shelter + noun phrase + from + noun phrase
shelter + from + noun phrase (intransitive)
be sheltered + by/from + noun phrase
用法筆記
Can be transitive (She sheltered the children) or intransitive (They sheltered in a cave). The passive form is common with by (agent) or from (threat). Subject can be a person, an animal, or even a thing (the tree, the wall).
2. to hide a person in a secret place so that the authorities, the army, or other p
to hide a person in a secret place so that the authorities, the army, or other people who are looking for them cannot find them
During the war, the farmer sheltered three families in his basement for two years.
shelter + person + in + location + for + duration
Chidi was arrested for sheltering a fugitive in his apartment near the docks.
shelter + a fugitive / a wanted person
Lucas and his mother sheltered escaped prisoners of war in their attic during the occupation.
Piotr knew that sheltering a deserter was dangerous, but he could not turn him away.
文法句型
shelter + noun phrase (person being hidden)
用法筆記
This sense carries a legal or moral weight — the person being hidden is usually wanted by authorities. It is often used in historical or news contexts. The preposition used for the hiding place is in (in a basement, in a closet, in a village).
3. to stay inside the building you are currently in because leaving would put you i
to stay inside the building you are currently in because leaving would put you in danger when there is an emergency — for instance, a shooting, a chemical spill, or a severe storm
The principal told everyone to shelter in place until the tornado warning was lifted.
collocation: shelter in place — fixed phrase for emergencies
Jessica heard the emergency sirens and decided to shelter in place in her office.
Kenji and his colleagues sheltered in place for three hours during the lockdown drill.
Trang heard gunshots nearby and immediately sheltered in place behind a locked door.
- take cover
broader; can mean getting to any safe spot, not necessarily staying where you are
- lock down
used for security threats like shootings; implies locking doors as well
文法句型
shelter in place
用法筆記
Nearly always used as the fixed phrase shelter in place — especially in American English emergency announcements. Unlike other senses of shelter, there is no object and no from-phrase. The verb is intransitive and the focus is on staying where you already are.
4. to remain at home during a disease outbreak and to go out only for essential tas
to remain at home during a disease outbreak and to go out only for essential tasks such as buying food or getting medical help
Kwame sheltered at home for six weeks when the flu epidemic swept through the city.
shelter at home + for + duration
The government asked everyone over sixty-five to shelter at home during the outbreak.
Samir sheltered in his apartment and had groceries delivered to his front door.
Rafael continued working from home while he sheltered during the health crisis.
- self-isolate
medical term; implies avoiding contact to prevent disease spread
- stay at home
simpler, everyday English; less formal than shelter at home
文法句型
shelter at home
shelter in + place (e.g. your home)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (shelter in place). Sense 3 is for acute, short emergencies (storms, shootings). Sense 4 is for sustained periods during disease outbreaks, and the focus is on reducing social contact rather than avoiding an immediate physical danger. Often appears as shelter at home.
5. to arrange your income, investments, or profits legally so that you pay less tax
to arrange your income, investments, or profits legally so that you pay less tax or no tax on them
The company sheltered a large part of its profits in an overseas subsidiary.
shelter + profits + in + [location/structure]
Mira's accountant advised her to shelter some of her income using a retirement account.
shelter + income + using + [method]
Rodrigo sheltered his investment earnings from capital gains tax through a special fund.
Eric sheltered a portion of his freelance income by contributing to a pension plan.
- shield (from tax)
similar meaning, less formal
- protect (from tax)
broader; shelter is the standard financial term
文法句型
shelter + noun phrase (income/profits) + from + tax/taxation
shelter + income/profits
用法筆記
This is a technical financial sense. The object is always financial: income, profits, earnings, investments, money. From names the tax being avoided. The activity is legal (tax avoidance), unlike tax evasion which is illegal. The compound noun tax shelter is more common than the verb in everyday speech.